SeaWorld (Orlando, Florida) Review

I am not a big land-lover animal fan, but I do love aquatic animals.  About eight years ago I got the change to visit Sea World San Diego and I couldn’t wait to visit Sea World Orlando with my family.  So we left our Disney World resort and traveled the short distance to Sea World, there are though hotels associated with Sea World that you can stay at to be closer.

We couldn’t have picked a nicer day to visit.  We got there went they first opened and it was getting busy already.  There are two types of parking you can pay for, the regular parking or a VIP parking which is more expensive but closer to the entrance.  We parked our car, loaded the kids (ages 2 and 4 years old) in the stroller and walked to the entrance.  My 13-year-old sister was also with us.

The line was very long, but organized to purchase tickets so I highly recommend buying them online before you go to avoid waiting in the long line.  We walked in and grabbed a map and were off.  Sea World Orlando is huge and very spread out so I am glad I wore comfortable shoes, especially being six months pregnant!  The kids loved the scenery of all the trees and greens which made the atmosphere very nature like and fun, also since Sea World is so spread out I didn’t feel like it was very crowded around us even though they were very busy.

(Back of map features show times and other important information)

Sea World is broken down into three main areas:  Shows, Rides, and Exhibits.  There are also restaurants (including exclusive dining options), tours and animal interactions, which are available for additional costs.  The shows are at designated times so you do need to somewhat schedule them since you want to get there a little early to get good sits and if you want to maximize your show experience you don’t want to miss any!

We saw two shows:  Believe and Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island.  Both shows were incredible!  Believe is a show featuring Sea World’s star character, Shamu.  We heard from the trainers and go to see Shamu as well as other killer whales, including a baby whale, swim around and perform.  It was amazing to see the giant whales swim and how well they listened to the trainers.  They splashed around and those close up did get wet!  My boys couldn’t believe how big the whales were!

The next show we watched was the Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island.  It featured sea lions, otters, and a walrus, as well as some pirates.  The show was about a pirate looking for treasure and landing on Pirate Island where a man was stranded.  The animals were hysterical as they listened and performed little tricks.  It was so funny because the animals were so human-like with there hijinks!  We really liked this show!

Since I am pregnant and my boys were not tall enough for most of the regular rides, we didn’t take advantage of them although they did look fun!  My sister was able to ride Manta by herself and loved it.  As far as rides go there is Journey to Atlantis (boat drop ride), Kraken (rollercoaster), Wild Arctic Ride (simulator), Manta (rollercoaster) and Skytower (see the entire park for an additional fee.)  If you want to advance to the front of the line, Sea World also offers the Quick Queue which for an additional price allows you to fly through the ride lines.

For smaller kids there is a great section of both rides and a play area called Shamu’s Happy Harbor.  We spent a few hours in this section!  There is a total of six rides ranging from a height requirement of 38 inches to 42 inches, although if an adult is with the child then the requirement was a little less.  My 4 year old loved the Shamu Express (rollercoaster) and The Flying Fiddler (up and down drop ride.)

The best part though of Happy Harbor was the Pirate’s Nets and sand box area.  The Pirate’s Nets area is a four story netting area where kids can climb and go through tunnels, this is a little hard for younger kids alone since their feet can get stuck in the netting so my husband and sister were up there with my boys.  There was no line since it was just an open play area and it really is huge!  Then below it was two huge sand play areas, which you’d think my boys had never played with sand before they loved it so much!  I was very grateful for this kid area.  Oh and there was even a childcare room which had kid-friendly bathrooms, a sitting area to wind down inside with some small toys, a kitchen to heat up food/bottles and a changing area.

Next we started walking through the various exhibits.  My favorite was the Shark Encounter which featured the largest underwater viewing tunnel for close up peeks!  There is also the Wild Arctic, Dolphin Cove, Shamu: Close Up, Penguin Encounter, Manatee Rescue, Stingray Lagoon and more!  We just walked around and soaked it all in since it was way more aquatic animals then we’d ever seen.  My boys were fascinated, and even my 13 year old sister was impressed.  The animals were all active and amazing, and the whole exhibit experience was perfect.

Finally, we played a few games in the Games Area and ate lunch.  There were definitely a lot of choices for lunch but we ended up eating in the Believe Shamu stadium since we got there early to get good seats.  I was so happy they sold food there (hot dogs, pretzels…) and that it was allowed inside!

One feature I really thought was great at Sea World is the “All-Day Dining Deal.”  For $29.99 for adults and $14.99 for kids ages 3-9, guests receive a wristband and get to enjoy All You Care TO Eat and Drink All Day at participating restaurants.  Each time through the line you can get up to 1 entrée platter, 1 additional side item, and 1 Fountain Soft Drink, Iced Tea OR 20 oz Aquafina each time through the line, Childs Price includes Kids Meal entrees only.  Each restaurant has a variety of foods and there are a total of six participating restaurants.  Now there are some food exclusions but then again there did seem to be a lot of choices.  Since it was our first time there and I wasn’t sure how long my boys would last (we went to Sea World towards the end of our trip) we didn’t take advantage of the Dining Deal but I would definitely consider it for our next trip.

Overall, our trip to Sea World was definitely fun and I am glad we traveled outside of the Disney Parks, it was a nice change of pace.  There really is so much to soak in and take advantage of at Sea World so it is definitely somewhere to plan on spending the whole day at, especially if you want to see everything.  It reminded me of an aquatic zoo with rides and a kiddie play area.  My boys didn’t want to leave and I loved just walking around.  It is also somewhere great for kids of all ages as you can see my boys (2 and 4) loved it as did my 13 year old sister.  It is also great because it doesn’t feel overwhelmingly crowded since everything is spaced out and there is so much to do.  I will definitely be visiting every trip we make to Orlando, Florida!

VISIT: By purchasing tickets from SeaWorld.com you can save time printing tickets at home and then going straight to the front gate and save money!  There are tons of options for tickets including multiple days visits and visits to other parks including Aquatica (waterpark) and Busch Gardens (theme park).

Mom and More Disclosure:  I received complimentary tickets for my family in exchange for my honest opinion.  Please see my Disclosure Policy.